“Can strategists not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 126: A Single Knife for a Meet…
Using a sheepskin bag to cross rivers might as well be recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of the Yellow River region today, but back in the day, it was merely a novelty.
Don’t be fooled by Qiao Yan’s words to Cao Cao and Lu Zhi, claiming, “Others think Northerners are poor at water battles, but our Bingzhou is different.” The truth is, the method of “sewing leather bags into boats” was just introduced to Bingzhou from the Liangzhou region only a few decades ago.
Even her earlier attempt to get someone to peel the sheepskin off completely from the neck took quite a bit of time.
Fortunately, Bingzhou’s geographical position meant that if she wanted to attack Luoyang, she had to cross the Yellow River from Mengjin. This challenge was anticipated, and preparations had been made well before spring.
“Standing here in front of this muddled mess is you intending to become a great sheepskin blower, Guo Jia?” Qiao Yan said as she looked towards the end of the drying rack and spotted a familiar figure.
Guo Jia quickly waved his hand in response, saying, “My lord, you’re joking. At most, I’ll just splash around with a sheepskin bag while crossing the river to add some flair—no way I have the energy to blow up a sheepskin!”
Qiao Yan chuckled. Splashing around with the sheepskin bag was indeed something he could talk about and actually do.
Then Guo Jia straightened his expression and said, “I was just thinking, if we make a show of repairing roads while secretly passing through Chencang, pretending to build boats, we could indeed fool the two sides stationed at Mengjin and Xiaopingjin.”
“But the river at Mengjin has an upward bend, and this route is also influenced by the water redistribution near the river island. If we could set off directly from the Xiaopingjin outer river island and float downstream along the side near Luoyang, could it allow soldiers who aren’t great swimmers to successfully cross the river without needing bridges or making rafts?”
The wooden strips tied into a frame on the sheepskin raft needed a decent number, and for the forces Qiao Yan currently commanded, it would still be quite a hefty commitment.
It would inevitably be easy for the other side to notice if there were unusual movements within their camp.
If the buoyancy of the sheepskin bags would allow a single bag to transport a person across, why not utilize the terrain to reduce the usage of bamboo and wood rather than making large sheepskin rafts for the cavalry?
Guo Jia had been observing the terrain for a long time and studied the sheepskin method for a while, feeling there was great potential in it.
In fact, while they would need to retreat a certain distance to use this method, cutting the river crossing time in half made it less likely for others to notice and better utilized the river’s currents. It was undoubtedly a smart deal.
The only concern was—
“Xu Rong stationed at Xiaopingjin, he’s not from Xiliang and feels somewhat out of place with Dong Zhuo’s men. Given his meticulous nature, he won’t overlook the river island in front of Xiaopingjin, even if he hasn’t deployed troops right now. He surely will keep a watchful eye. We need to come up with a plan for this.”
Xu Rong…
Historically, in just a few lines, he forced Cao Cao and others to beat a hasty retreat during the Bianshui Battle, and this clash likely wasn’t just due to the numbers of Xiliang troops.
Maybe it would be better to take a bit of a risk and send someone under the cover of night to deliver the wooden frame materials into the camp.
But Qiao Yan found Guo Jia’s suggestion intriguing. Instead of shaking up this plan, it was better to remove those who might impact it.
Qiao Yan pondered for a moment and said, “Bring me some paper and a pen.”
About half an hour later, a messenger crossed the river from the north and headed straight to Xu Rong’s military tent.
Since the visitor mentioned he came to deliver a message for the Bingzhou governor and there was just one boat with one person and a ferryman, he faced little resistance once on land and was taken straight to Xu Rong.
Seeing that the newcomer was just a boy, Xu Rong couldn’t help but ask, “Is Qiao Yan himself so young that he can only send teenagers?”
“Not quite,” the boy replied with a clasped fist, “It’s just that I told my lord, I see that General’s camp is well-arranged, and there’s surely no talk of executing messengers around here. Moreover, I happen to share the same surname with the general, and while I’m from Yingchuan, we’re definitely not related, yet there’s some connection worth mentioning, giving me an extra layer of protection.”
This lad was none other than Xu Fu.
Qiao Yan took him along in this campaign as the third strategist.
However, Xu Fu had always been humble about this matter, feeling he couldn’t count as someone who had gone to battle. He volunteered to support with letters, and when Qiao Yan planned to deliver a message to Xu Rong, he eagerly offered to go.
With Xu Fu’s current courage and eloquence, Qiao Yan felt no worry whatsoever. Her only concern was that even though Xu Rong acted in such a manner, it didn’t guarantee that he would let the messenger return safely. If Xu Yuan was caught here, it would be too late for regrets.
But Xu Fu replied, saying, “If one can’t send an audacious person to do this, my lord’s grand plan may be lacking. Years ago, I was moved by my lord sacrificing himself as bait among the Yellow Turban Army, and today I can say the same. If we can smoothly cross the river and strike Luoyang, then what’s the loss of one Xu Fu’s life?”
He continued, “Moreover, the general will inevitably face Xu Rong eventually. If we can use this opportunity to observe the conditions in his camp, it’s definitely a case of being prepared for any eventuality. Leaving this to an ordinary messenger is absolutely out of the question.”
Better to let him do it!
This was why he stood there now.
Xu Rong examined this young man’s face for a while, noticing that the boy’s praise of his military management seemed genuinely heartfelt, which eased his mood a bit. He asked, “You’re right; I certainly won’t execute a messenger. So what does Qiao Yan want you to convey to me?”
Xu Fu handed the note he had been carrying to Xu Rong’s personal guard and replied, “Earlier, Qiao Yan and the general had a clash in the capital, and after the exchange, he felt strongly about the general’s abilities. Having come to put down the chaos of Dong the Traitor again, he wishes to meet you…”
“You don’t need to say more,” Xu Rong interrupted Xu Fu, “Dong the Chancellor has shown me kindness; how dare you call him a traitor in front of me! As for matters of negotiation, that’s even more unnecessary. Given your youth, I’ll let you go back, but don’t bring up anything else.”
Faced with Xu Rong’s dramatic outburst halfway through his speech, Xu Fu showed no sign of panic, still replying calmly, “General Xu, if you think I’m here to bribe you into turning against your side to ensure safe passage across the river, then you underestimate my lord and yourself too much.”
He stated firmly, “Such a thing is beneath my lord!”
Seeing Xu Fu’s assertiveness, Xu Rong couldn’t help but tone down his anger and asked, “May I inquire about the intention behind Qiao Yan’s actions?”
Xu Fu replied, “My lord admires the general’s name. However, both sides have their positions and will inevitably find themselves in conflict. To show respect to a hero, my lord wishes to meet you with a drink on that river island. Would the general dare to meet me for a chat?”
Without waiting for Xu Rong to speak, Xu Fu continued, “Meeting heroes over drinks? After a few cups, it’s just enemies, that’s all there is to it. Given that the Marquis of Leping is bold enough to risk himself for friendship, does the General think there’s some trickery involved?”
“That Dong thief doesn’t see the Marquis as a person of note. He clearly sent the messenger Li Su to say he wants to meet the Marquis outside Luoyang at Sunset Pavilion, yet just before leaving, orders an ambush at the camp. The Marquis would never stoop to such filthy deeds. All our soldiers are right under General Niu’s watch, so there’s no chance for any river-crossing shenanigans during the meeting.”
“…” Xu Rong was quiet for a long moment, not biting on Xu Fu’s subtle jab about that unsuccessful surprise attack on the Prime Minister, then replied, “Now I understand why the Marquis wanted you as an envoy.”
Xu Fu accepted the compliment graciously and quipped, “So then, may I ask what the General thinks? With the invitation from the Marquis on that letter, it’s likely that Dong thief won’t hold it against you for leaving your post.”
Xu Rong tore open the envelope, unfolding the letter, and indeed found it as Xu Fu had said.
He pondered for a moment and replied, “If it’s as the Marquis wishes. But this river island is right before our eyes, and messages come and go like this, why wait five days?”
He felt for a moment that this agreed date was also hinting at the Marquis’s previous invitation to Dong Zhuo, but then heard Xu Fu say, “The Marquis is currently overseeing the shipbuilding and crossing the river, and also coordinating with the righteous souls in the Central Plains to deal with the Dong thief. She’s too busy right now.”
Seeing Xu Rong pause at these words, Xu Fu smiled, “I trust the General won’t blame me for this extra clarification. I’ll take my leave now.”
Xu Rong suspected he was laying some kind of trap, but having earlier promised not to harm messengers, there wasn’t much point in keeping him around. He could only watch as the other boarded the boat and made his way to the other bank.
Five days…
During these five days, two more letters from Qiao Yan also reached their destinations.
Cao Cao received the invitation from Qiao Yan and, recalling their earlier discussions about the quest to the west, and the embarrassment of being forced out of Luoyang by Dong Zhuo, he immediately decided to issue a declaration against Dong and gather forces to attack Xuanmen Pass, creating a united front with Qiao Yan.
He said to his eldest son beside him, “Previously, Ye Shu owed you a gift. If we enter Luoyang together now, as the Prefect of Bingzhou, she ought to repay that.”
“Father…” Cao Ang had a mixed expression of laughter and tears.
Was this really the right time to bring it up?
He then heard Cao Cao say, “At her age, to initiate the campaign against Dong, her courage already surpasses that of many peers. It seems you, Zixiu, still have some catching up to do!”
“But Ye Shu is great in many ways, except for one thing. A declaration needs to carry a sense of righteousness, not just for that Dong thief. One must exaggerate his misdeeds to make it look like a proper declaration.”
Cao Ang watched as Cao Cao rolled up his sleeves, trying hard to keep a straight face and not show any unusual expression.
Because his father’s subtle undertone clearly meant—
Cursing Dong Zhuo was something Qiao Yan didn’t handle quite well; he was more experienced in this.
Father! Are you showing off your literary talent or just throwing shade at her?
Regardless of how Cao Ang felt inside, this standard declaration written by Cao Cao swiftly reached Lu Zhi right after Qiao Yan’s letter made its way to Ji Province.
Upon receiving this highly inciting declaration of troops mobilization, Lu Zhi immediately got up from his seat and paced around the room, suddenly bursting into laughter, “Good, good! One force from the north, another from the east, if we break both passes, that Dong thief is doomed!”
Liu Bei was already ready to march into Luoyang as Lu Zhi came to him.
Though these past few years he hadn’t progressed like Qiao Yan, jumping several ranks, and while he hadn’t had much influence in government work, he had simply been going by the book. But his early connections with the wealthy merchants Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang hadn’t been severed even after moving to Ji Province.
Thanks to his dealings with those two, he had amassed a bit of a following.
During his time as an official in Qinghe County, he recognized that if he wanted to rise through the usual channels, without getting promoted by the Three Dukes like the current Grand Commandant Huang Wan, it wouldn’t be easy to reach high positions.
Instead, making a name for himself by restoring order and taking down thieves was a greater opportunity for advancement without needing official connections.
Now that the former emperor had died, and his young son had acceded to the throne, while being manipulated by vile villains, this was the perfect opportunity for him.
If he wished to accomplish great deeds for the people, he at least had to become a Prefect, and such selfish thoughts were nothing to be ashamed of!
He quickly replied, “Lu-shi, just say the word, and I’ll mobilize my men at once!”
“Not so fast,” Lu Zhi replied, “First, let’s go meet that Yuan Benchu.”
He and Yuan Shao had stood on opposing sides in Luoyang, and were it not for the Yuan clan supporting Dong Zhuo, he wouldn’t have been defeated by Dong.
He believed Cao Cao didn’t just send the declaration to him, but certainly sent one to Yuan Benchu as well. Since Chencao and Hulao were crucial passes, they needed to work as one if they were to fight together.
Whether it’s Yuan Shao stepping back or him taking a step back, past grievances must be settled first.
Otherwise, they might not even be as effective as Qiao Yan out there at Xuanmen Pass.
“Lu-shi…”
“Xuan De,” Lu Zhi smiled openly, “At a time like this, what’s face worth? The big picture is what matters. Just think of me as giving you a lesson.”
However, not everyone receiving Cao Cao’s anti-Dong declaration shared such enlightenment.
Just like Zhang Zi, the Prefect of Nanyang, who Xu You thought would ally with Yuan Shu, ended up dead due to a shortage of military supplies against the advancing Sun Jian. Sun Jian was bold and outspoken, while Zhang Zi acted under the justification of his Prefect authority, making the situation a confusing mess.
Even Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao, the two brothers, had a bit of a power struggle in the letters exchanged during this anti-Dong campaign.
Qiao Yan knew exactly how these incoming “warlords” would perform, but she didn’t have the extra energy to concern herself with their petty squabbling.
With the five-day pact finally here, unlike Xu Rong who feared deception, she boarded the boat in a calm and casual outfit.
From the banks of the Yellow River where she saw Niu Fu alongside Xu Rong, it looked like a light boat drifting in the murky river waves. As the oars pushed the boat forward, amidst the river’s breeze, Niu Fu’s dark robe fluttered elegantly.
The boat sped like lightning, heading toward the river’s central island.
From Niu Fu’s position, it was impossible to see what lay ahead, only sighing in admiration while mentally noting Xu Rong’s name.
On this side, as the boat docked, Zhao Yun adjusted his hat and played the role of a qualified boatman, watching her with her sword and wine jug disembark and share a distant gaze with the arriving Xu Rong.
Even with bodyguards beside her, it was truly a grand scene of heroes meeting over drinks!
